Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3722) to require a pilot program on activities under the pre-separation transition process of members of the Armed Forces for a reduction in suicide among veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3722, the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act.

I commend the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn) for introducing this legislation and for his leadership on this important issue.

H.R. 3722 seeks to improve the Transition Assistance Program run by the Department of Defense and the Solid Start program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both programs provide critical assistance to the over 200,000 warfighters who transition to civilian life each year.

Every departing servicemember is required to complete the TAP program before leaving the service. The program provides valuable information, education, and training on veteran benefits, financial planning, how to find a job and start a business, as well as mental health resources available to servicemembers and their families.

Departing military service can be a very stressful time for servicemembers and their families. Servicemembers often experience feelings of isolation and loss of community that can exacerbate other mental health conditions. H.R. 3722 seeks to ensure that all departing servicemembers receive information on how to recognize and cope with these stressors, as well as help them identify risk factors for suicide.

On behalf of the Armed Services Committee, we look forward to working with the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn) as this bill moves forward to address some issues that may hinder its proper execution by the DOD.

It is important that we regularly review transition programs like TAP and Solid Start and make sure they are meeting the needs of our departing servicemembers and their families.

The men and women of our Armed Forces sacrifice tremendously when they agree to serve our Nation. When that service is complete, the least we can do is ensure they have an opportunity for a healthy and successful civilian life. That is the goal of H.R. 3722.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, just to reiterate some of the statements and points that have been made by my fellow veteran colleagues, it is hard to transition out of the military.

We wake up every day with a mission, and that is a great mission--to defend our great Nation. We are part of a team, and it gets us out of bed in the morning. There is no better, no higher calling than that.

The day that that stops and the day that you are not a part of that team, and you might not know what is next ahead in life, and there is a lot of transition with a lot unknown, it is hard. We have to do better for our servicemen and -women that are transitioning out.

We are so thankful for the service of the two young Marines that we spoke about today, but even one veteran suicide is too many.

I know that even in my district in Hampton Roads, Virginia, when we take ships out of commission, we put them in the yards, or we put people on medical hold, we have seen suicides there as well.

Again, taking those servicemembers out of their role, their mission of defending the country every day and putting them in a holding pen, is very hard on their mental health. When we transition them out of the service, there is no more challenging time than that.

This is the least we can do. It is a step in the right direction, but education is a powerful tool. It is one of the tools we have here in Congress.

Mandating that this education be given to our servicemen and -women who are often young people transitioning out who have great lives ahead, long lives ahead, and just helping them to know what resources are available to them, especially for mental health, can be such a challenging time.

I urge all of my colleagues here to support this bill. I look forward to supporting it myself, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I join my colleague, Representative Kiggans of Virginia, and rise in support of H.R. 3722, the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act.

As a proud United States Air Force veteran and voice for over 46,000 veterans in North Carolina's First Congressional District, I was proud to join my friend and colleague, Representative Zach Nunn, in introducing this bipartisan bill last year ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The suicide rate in our military ranks and among our veterans is unacceptable. We must not have servicemembers put themselves in harm's way fighting for our country only to return home to take their own lives.

By requiring the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to jointly pursue a 5-year pilot program, H.R. 3722 will help assess the feasibility of providing specified counseling and services as part of the Transition Assistance Program.

This bill will close the information gap and ensure veterans can access the services they need when and where they need them.

When our Active-Duty personnel take off their uniforms and begin to transition to civilian life, we must ensure they have the mental health resources and support they need not only to survive but thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Nunn for bringing this bill forward, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, as we conclude today on this vital legislation, I am compelled to emphasize the significance of the issue at hand.

According to the VA's ``2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report,'' 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021--114 more than the previous year. This rate is more than double that of the civilian adult population, underscoring a crisis that requires immediate and decisive action.

The stories of Corporal Adam Lambert and Lance Corporal Daniel J. Harvey, Jr., who both tragically lost their lives to suicide shortly after serving our country in Afghanistan, remind us that we must do more.

The enhancement of DOD and VA transition assistance programs in H.R. 3722 will ensure that every servicemember leaving the military is not only aware of but also able to access resources to address mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and

other risk factors associated with suicide.

To honor the legacy of our fallen, we must recommit ourselves to our servicemembers and veterans, our real heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. Again, I thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn) for introducing this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Adam Lambert, a proud marine from Adel, Iowa.

Adam brought joy and laughter to his mother, Jill, and his father, Dean. He was a protective brother to his sisters, McKenzie and Anna.

Adam put himself before his country, his friends, his family, and his service.

During boot camp, Adam met a fellow marine named Daniel Harvey from Rhode Island. Together, these two became friends and stayed connected through their deployments and return to civilian life.

At 22 years old, sadly, Daniel died by suicide just a year after he left the Marines, and tragically, as was noted, Adam followed him less than a month later.

Unfortunately, Adam and Daniel's story all too often is becoming more common among our veterans. Veteran suicide is a casualty of war, one that demands immediate attention and action by this Congress.

The truth is that when our men and women in uniform leave the service, that transition to civilian life can be extremely difficult and often leaves servicemembers feeling very much left alone.

This is something I have witnessed firsthand as a 20-year combat veteran--as others have highlighted here from their military service-- and as a squadron commander in the Air Force. You saw airmen struggle with the realities of life when they transitioned from service in defense of this Nation.

The pressure of employment, lack of fellowship, substance abuse, and finding a purpose weigh on all of our veterans as they return to civilian life, and many of our brothers and sisters sadly do not make it.

We need to do more to ensure that veterans are aware of the resources available to them as they leave the Armed Forces.

In honor of Adam and Daniel, as well as countless other servicemembers, I introduced the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act.

This bipartisan legislation led by veterans makes critical improvements to the Transition Assistance Program to provide servicemembers who are returning home with access to mental health resources, more frequent VA check-ins, and clear communication about available assistance programs as they navigate their return from the battlefield and before it is too late.

I thank all who have served our Nation for their service, and I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support and pass this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5914) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the processes to approve programs of education for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may

have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 5914, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5914, as amended, offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), my friend and colleague.

This bill, as amended, would improve the information schools are required to give individuals regarding their GI Bill benefits.

Right now, schools are required to give an estimated cost of education to anyone using the GI Bill. However, there are cases where the school cannot accurately estimate the tuition and expenses for that year.

This could cause veterans to pick a school based off incorrect information that might harm them financially in the future.

Now, I support getting veterans all the information they need to make the right decision about their education. I do not support schools being forced to give a favorable financial estimate before the student enrolls.

This bill would also ensure that schools have a central place to find information to train their staff in charge of helping student veterans use their benefits.

Finally, this bill, as amended, would improve opportunities for veterans wanting to get commercial driver's licenses.

I thank my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), as well for his work on key provisions of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5914, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), the sponsor of this legislation. I appreciate the fine job he has done coming forward with this.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards) who has a portion of this bill as well.

Madam Speaker, once again, I encourage Members to support this legislation and to help our veterans get the most out of their GI Bill benefits.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Kiggans for the opportunity to speak.

I stand before you today in support of H.R. 3722, the Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act, which is co-led by my colleague from Iowa, Representative Zach Nunn.

Our brave men and women in uniform have sacrificed immeasurably to defend our Nation and uphold our freedoms, and as a 24-year veteran, I know only too well that when they return home, many face significant challenges transitioning back to civilian life. Too often, these challenges lead to tragic outcomes, including the heartbreaking reality of veteran suicide.

This bipartisan bill presents an opportunity for us to take meaningful action to address this crisis. By implementing a pilot program to enhance the pre-separation transition process for our servicemembers, we can provide them with the necessary support and resources to navigate this challenging period successfully.

The proposed model outlined in this bill offers comprehensive education on the potential risks and challenges facing our transitioning servicemembers, including issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, and homelessness.

Additionally, it provides vital information on available resources and treatment options through the Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations.

Furthermore, by offering individualized services such as assessments of eligibility for VA healthcare and counseling and coordination of healthcare based on individual needs, we can ensure that our veterans receive the support they deserve as they reintegrate back into civilian life.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a moral imperative. We must always stand for our military and honor our veterans. By supporting H.R. 3722, we reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling this sacred duty.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Iowa, Representative Nunn, for introducing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this bill and taking decisive action to reduce veteran suicide rates and ensure that those who have served our country receive the support and care they need and deserve.